Union Puts Riverside County Supervisors On Notice Of Imminent Strike

RIVERSIDE COUNTY, CA — Members of a union representing custodians, nurses, social workers and other occupations in Riverside County government temporarily brought the Board of Supervisors meeting to a halt Tuesday, chanting and formally serving the county notice of an imminent strike, which an official said could be met with legal action.

"SEIU! SEIU!" the workers shouted. "Be safe, be safe, be safe county workers!"

Supervisor Chuck Washington, chairing the meeting, directed sheriff's deputies to remove the demonstrators, who numbered several dozen.

As they were herded out of the board chamber, the purple-shirted Service Employees International Union Local 721 members yelled, "Strike! Strike! Strike!"

One demonstrator walked onto the board dais and distributed letters to each supervisor, notifying him of a planned walkout on Sept. 6.

The meeting was called back to order in about five minutes.

"That reminded me of my college days," Supervisor V. Manuel Perez quipped.

County Executive Office spokesman Ray Smith told City News Service that it's unclear whether the proposed work stoppage will be honored by the nearly 7,500 county employees who belong to SEIU.

"Temporary staffing is available if needed, and the county is prepared to seek a court order to prevent any unlawful strike by personnel specifically responsible for protecting public health and safety," Smith said.

According to SEIU representatives, the union has been locked in negotiations with the Department of Human Resources for 14 months regarding a new collective bargaining agreement.

In a statement posted to the Local 721 website, workers accuse the county of "bad faith bargaining" and engaging in unfair labor practices while trying to undermine the union in its demands for improved working conditions, mainly at county clinics and the Riverside University Medical Center in Moreno Valley.

Smith would not comment on matters under negotiation, but he asserted that the "county has bargained in good faith and truly values employees' hard work and dedication."

"Because of that appreciation, the average salary increase for SEIU and Laborers International Union of North America employees since 2012 was approximately 38 percent," he told CNS. "That does not count cost-of-living adjustments."

SEIU, the county's second-largest public sector union, last resorted to work stoppages in early 2012, during a dispute over salaries and pension benefits.

— By City News Service

PHOTO: A demonstrator walks onto the board dais and distributes letters on Aug. 29, 2017 / CREDIT: Riverside County meeting portal